I’ve just returned from a fun (and food) filled family vacation to Greece. My highlights were exploring the Acropolis with the kids and teaching them about their Greek heritage, swimming in the crystal clear turquoise waters of Zakynthos and Kefalonia and getting lost in the spectacular cobblestone streets of Mykonos town – a maze of narrow streets filled with pink bougainvillea cascading over stark white cubic buildings.
The Greek food was mouthwatering. One dish that consistently featured on the menu of almost every taverna we visited was baked feta wrapped in filo pastry drizzled with honey and sesame. Unfortunately I could never eat it because the filo contained gluten so I watched in envy as my family devoured this sweet salty delicacy. Not happy! When I returned home I decided to rectify the ‘situation’ by giving this classic Greek dish a gluten free makeover. Instead of wrapping the feta in filo I dipped it in egg wash and sweet rice flour to create a crispy textured crust. It baked beautifully and the warm feta lusciously oozed out as soon as I cut into the block. Happy again!
This dish actually originates from my mother’s island of Crete, home of all insanely delicious sweet salty combinations. You will often find fried versions of sesame crusted feta on Greek restaurant menus but I find this method does not melt the feta properly. If you want the feta to ooze out baking is the way to go, and it’s much healthier.
To serve, simply drizzle warm honey over the crust and watch it fly off the plate as soon as it hits the dinner table. Minimum effort, maximum flavour and a taste of Greece in every delicious bite.
- 200g block of Dodoni feta
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- ¼ cup sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour)
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ¼ cup raw honey
- Pinch of cracked pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle
- Preheat oven to 200C. Grease a small baking tray with olive oil.
- Combine flour and cracked pepper on one plate and pour sesame seeds on another plate.
- Dip feta block in egg and then coat in flour mixture.
- Dip feta block in egg again and then coat in sesame seeds.
- Place feta onto baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 30 min. Flip feta block halfway through baking to ensure even browning.
- Warm honey in microwave or stovetop and drizzle over feta to serve.
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